War On All Sides
by TX17
Summary: Ten years after the end of Ocarina of Time. Link was not sent back to his childhood, but instead became a knight, and helped with the reconstruction of Hyrule. Now, the kingdom's own people are threatening to bring it down. Can he save his kingdom? Can he save his family? Rated T for now. May change later on.
1. You Know What This Means

_**I do not own the rights to any part of the Legend of Zelda series.**_

_**Enjoy. Please review.**_

* * *

"WHAT!" The general's fists came down onto his table, knocking over his goblet. "THEY HIT **ANOTHER** CARAVAN!"

He was a large man with shaven head and very squared jawline. Covered in armor and chainmail, with a blue cape draped across his shoulders and down his back.

"I'm afraid so, sir," said the messenger, "Coming back from Holodrum."

"That's got to be the fifth one!"

"Sixth, sir."

"RRAAAAGH!" The general screamed, flipping over his table in anger. "Why isn't the Queen doing anything about this!" He threw his hands up in rage.

"She's sent several warnings, sir. They're either ignoring her, or-"

"Warnings! That's what you do to prevent problems, ours has already started! We need to send a real strong message!" he brought his hand to his chin, "She's afraid. She's too afraid to hurt those damned bandits' feelings. She just needs some prodding, is all. You're dismissed, soldier."

The general shoved his messenger out of the way as he stormed out the door.

* * *

"…And he is expected to arrive today, your highness," said the court messenger.

The Queen sat on her throne, surveying the room. "Excellent," she exclaimed, "Our previous attempts have failed, but perhaps with him there, we can manage to work something out, instead of resorting to violence."

"Let me in!" came a loud voice from outside the door.

"She's meeting with someone, sir," said a guard's voice, "You're going to have to wait-"

"I SAID, LET ME IN!"

The doors burst open as the guard tumbled to the floor. The general stormed in, face red with anger. The royal messenger quickly moved out of his way.

"General Telak!" the Queen shouted, "What is the meaning of this?"

"Your highness," Telak began, "It has come to my attention that our military supply caravans are being raided by the Gerudo. Six of them in the past three months! I want to know why we haven't been allowed to go over there and teach them a lesson!"

"We don't want to make war on them, General!"

"So we just let them attack us?"

The Queen stood up, "General Telak, do not raise your voice at me!"

Telak stepped towards her, "THEN GIVE ME AN ANSWER!"

Suddenly, Telak felt a knife pressed against his throat. A middle-aged, white-haired Sheikah woman in blue stood behind him, holding her dagger to his throat.

"You will not disrespect Queen Zelda," she warned, "You will calm yourself, step back, and continue in a civilized manner, and then you will leave. If you don't, I will end you on the spot."

"Impa," Zelda stretched out her hand, "Let him go."

Impa backed away from Telak, slowly dragging her dagger across his throat as a final warning, before finally stepping off. Telak put his hand to his neck, and looked to Zelda.

"Then tell me, your majesty, what is it, exactly, that you're doing about it?"

"I've sent an ambassador to negotiate with them," Zelda said, sitting back down.

"An ambassador? Who in the hell could you send that they would listen to?"

* * *

Across the desert sands, a figure cloaked in red rode on horseback. The harsh desert winds and blazing sun did not deter him. He was expected at the Gerudo Fortress by the end of the day. He wasn't going to miss his appointment.

Faster and faster his horse rode across the dunes. The red steed galloped through the sand, and it wasn't long before the Fortress was in sight.

The man whipped his reigns, and sped his horse up. In minutes, he was approaching the Fortress gates. He tugged on his horse's reigns, and slowed her down. He soon came to a complete stop outside just outside the entrance. He patted his horse on the neck as she stopped. "Good girl."

"Who are you!" called the woman at the watchtower, "What are you doing out here?"

"I'm looking for Lady Nabooru!" he called back, taking off his hood, "Tell her Link is here to see her."

Within minutes after the guard went to relay his message, the gates opened, and three Gerudo women stood before him. One of them was about forty years old, and wearing a translucent, off-white veil on her face.

"Lady Nabooru," the blonde man smiled. He got on one knee, grabbed her hand, and kissed it, "It's good to see you again."

* * *

Nabooru poured some wine into her chalice, no doubt stolen, and turned her head, "It's been a long time, Link. You're officially a knight now, eh? I knew you would be one day."

"And you," Link smiled, removing his cloak, "Leader of the Gerudo!"

"Well, someone had to take over after Ganondorf," Nabooru poured another glass, "Who better than me?"

Link let out a chuckle, removing his gauntlets.

"Well?" Nabooru handed him his glass, "Take a seat. And there's no need for the armor, Link."

Link accepted the wine. He took a sip, and set the chalice aside. He removed his breastplate, and was left in his tunic and greaves.

"There, now you're all comfortable," Nabooru smiled, "Why do you carry so much on you?"

"One can never be too careful, Lady Nabooru."

"Drop the 'Lady', Link," the thief said sternly, "You know me well enough."

"Apologies, Nabooru."

"So, Link, what brings you out here? You disappear for nine years, and suddenly, you just show up at my door."

"Well," Link rubbed the back of his neck, "I'm a Royal Knight now, Nabooru. My duty is to Queen Zelda. And I've got a family to look after now."

"Really?" Nabooru's eyes widened, "Ha! A family man! I was wondering when some girl would finally nab you! How many kids have you got?"

"Just one," Link smiled, "My eight year old son, Carthas."

"And I'm sure he wants to be just like his daddy when he grows up, huh?" Nabooru said, pinching Link's cheek. She let go, leaned back, finished the wine in her chalice, and continued, "So, tell me, Link. What brings you out here after so long?"

"Queen Zelda sent me."

Nabooru frowned, "Heh. I should've known you wouldn't have come out here for a social call." She stood up and walked towards the table with the wine bottle on it. She poured herself another glass and continued, "What does she want?"

"Your parties have been raiding our supply caravans," Link explained, "Our previous messages have gone unheeded-"

"I've heard your Queen's messages, Link. I've told my girls to refrain from attacking royal caravans. But it isn't exactly easy to tell what type of convoy we see when the sun's in our eyes and the sand blows in our faces."

Link stood up, "The armed guard and Hylian crests didn't give it away?"

"Do you know how many caravans pull that? They all try and disguise themselves as some sort of royal expedition. Besides, I'm sure you'd prefer us doing this than preying on the innocent civilians that pass through here."

"I would if you weren't robbing them too!" Link raised his voice.

Nabooru dropped her chalice to the floor, breaking it. "Don't raise your voice at me, Link! You're in my fortress! My home!"

Link regained his composure. "Apologies, Nabooru. But I cannot stand idly by as you attack and rob the people I have sworn to protect."

"You're one of us too, Link."

"I renounced my membership when I became a Royal Knight."

"Well," Nabooru said somewhat angrily, "you shouldn't be here then, should you?"

Link said nothing.

"Collect your things," Nabooru turned away, "I'll have someone escort you out. Tell your Queen that this is our territory. Anything here is fair game."

"You know what this means, don't you?"

"Yeah. I do. We'll be ready."

"I'll try and keep it from coming to that. But the others may push her to it."

"Go."

Link donned his breastplate and gauntlets. As he left, he put on his cloak, and said, "I'm sorry it's come to this."

"Yeah," she replied, still not facing him, "So am I."

Link walked out and was greeted by two guards. They escorted him to the gate and shut it behind him. The Hylian mounted Epona and rode off, back towards Hyrule.

He hoped he could reason with Zelda's cabinet. War was the last thing Hyrule needed.

* * *

_**I actually got the idea for this a few days ago. As I was doodling in my class, more and more came to me, and WHAM! Here it is.**_

_**I don't know how long I'll work on this until the block hits me, like it does with all my other long-term projects, but we'll see. Hopefully, working on this for a while will remove the block I've got on Wasteland, eh?**_

_**Thanks for your time. I hope you liked it. Please review! And have a great day.**_


	2. Family

**I do not own the rights to the Legend of Zelda.**

**Please review. Thank you.**

* * *

The sun was setting over Hyrule. Zelda looked through her window, out on the horizon.

"For years, the sunset was a worrisome sight," she said aloud, "then we finally managed to establish peace, and people were no longer afraid to go out at night. But now…"

"…Now, it may be undone with another war," Impa's voice came from behind.

Zelda turned to face her, "I'm doing everything I can to avoid it."

"Terlak isn't helping. The man's a warmonger."

"He's the best military commander Hyrule has ever seen."

"Because he loves spilling blood. Because he doesn't know when to stop. He'd drive the people of Hyrule to extinction before admitting defeat," Impa sighed disgustedly, "There a many more worthy soldiers, who don't delight in the taking of life. They'd rather work towards the peace. But there's a monster directing your soldiers and your knights."

"That's enough, Impa," Zelda told her guardian, "While I don't care for his attitude, I have full confidence in the General. I don't want you berating him."

"Apologies, your highness," Impa bowed, and retreated.

Zelda looked back out the window. She hoped to the Goddesses that Link was being successful in his negotiations. War is something Hyrule couldn't afford. The wounds of Ganondorf's tyranny, while treated, were far from gone. The smallest crack could bring Hyrule down.

* * *

Link rode through the dunes, making his way out of the dunes. He had to make it back to the desert entrance before stopping for the night. Setting up camp here would be suicide.

The winds were picking up. The sand was blowing in his face. The sunlight would be totally gone soon. He was running short on time. He whipped Epona's reigns, in an attempt to speed her up.

They rode further and further through the dusty sands. Suddenly, Epona bucked. She rose up on her hind legs, letting out a cry of pain.

"Whoa!" Link shouted, "What are you doing, Epona? Settle down!"

He tugged on her reigns, trying to secure her. She kicked again, throwing Link from the saddle.

Link slammed into the ground. He stood up, and was about to secure his horse, when she let out another cry and took off. Link tumbled to the ground again after scrambling, trying to grab hold of her reigns. He lifted himself up on his hands.

"Epona!" he called out after his horse. She didn't turn back. She was out of his sight within seconds. He reached into his cloak, looking for his ocarina.

"What?" he asked himself. He kept searching "It's gone! It's gone!"

He patted himself all over, making sure there was no place he'd missed. He had no luck.

"Dammit!" he swore. He must have left it with the rest of his supplies. And those were on Epona's back. He pulled his hood up, and tried shielding himself from the desert winds. He looked around. The sun was barely showing. It would be gone in minutes. He used its position to determine which direction he was heading in and continued on his way. "Epona ran off this way as well," he said to himself, "I hope I can find her."

As he walked, he patted himself down once again to be one hundred percent sure that he didn't miss any place. He felt something he hadn't noticed in his frantic searching before. He pulled it out. It was a small locket chained to his belt. He opened it up. Inside was a picture of his wife and son. He wasn't going to let this stop him. He had to make it home. Not for Hyrule, but for them. He pressed on, with renewed purpose.

* * *

The sun had disappeared over Hyrule Field. Castle Town's entrance had been closed. Kakariko Village had all but shut down for the night. The music coming from the Lost Woods was quieting. Activity at Death Mountain had pretty much ceased. The Lakeside Laboratory had gone dark. The Zora's Domain was quiet. The land of Hyrule was asleep, it seemed.

All of it, except one place.

Outside of Lon Lon Ranch, Malon stood, singing the song her mother taught her. She did this every night whenever Link was away. It calmed her. Being a knight and servant of Hyrule, Link was often called away on business. Whenever he was gone, she'd go out and watch for signs of him. Whenever she saw him, she was overcome with joy. She loved him, and wanted him home safely. And she wanted to be ready to receive him.

"Mom…," came a voice from behind her.

Malon turned her head. Carthas, her and Link's son, stood behind her, rubbing his eyes.

"Carthas," she turned to face him, "What's wrong?"

"I had a bad dream," he looked up at her. His blondish-red hair matted, his bright, blue eyes moist.

Malon walked over to her son and picked him up. "There, there," she tried comforting him, "let's go inside. You can tell mommy all about it."

She carried Carthas inside, and set him back in his bed.

"Dad was riding in the desert," he began explaining, "and Epona got scared. Dad fell off and… and she… she ran away. And then he got lost in the desert and… and-"

"There, there," Malon pulled her son into a hug, "It's all right, Carthas. Daddy's fine."

"But-"

"It was just a dream, Carthas. Daddy's coming back home soon."

Carthas sniffed as he let go. He looked up at his mother, and wiped a few tears away with his sleeve. Malon looked at him and smiled. "Let me tell you a story," she began, "A long time ago, long before you were born, in the Lost Woods, there was a young boy; a young boy who didn't have a fairy…"

* * *

Malon went back outside. Her story had gotten Carthas' mind off his dream, and had allowed him to sleep. She stood right outside the gate to the Ranch and began singing again.

"_Come home soon, Link,"_ she thought to herself. She hated being separated from him. And while she hid it for the good of her son, she was worried about Link. She didn't know what she would do if anything happened to him. Every night, she prayed to the Goddesses that he would be safe. She had faith that they would protect him.

* * *

The wind was harsh. The night's cold, dry air was starting to get to him. The clouds had blocked out the moon and stars. It was totally dark. Link didn't even know if he was still heading in the right direction. But he trusted his gut. He walked for hours, refusing to let himself be beaten.

He hummed the song Saria taught him to show him the way in the Lost Woods. It helped him; calmed him. He was going to make it home. No matter what happened.

* * *

_**Here you go.**_

_**Block hit me rather fast on this one. Fortunately, it didn't last as long. Yaaaaay.**_

_**If you haven't noticed by now, I ship Malink. Shut up, it's great.**_

_**It's not as long as the first chapter, I'm sorry to say, but eh. I've got plans for this story.**_

_**And I hate writing for kids. I can never do it. I think I did okay here, but I usually make them either too young-sounding, or too old-sounding. It's just bleh.**_

_**And yes, I did really just use Ocarina of Time as Carthas' bedtime story. I am that unimaginative. ^_^**_

_**Let me know what you think, please. I want to hear it. Reviews make me want to write more.**_

_**Thank you.**_


	3. Motivation

_**I do not own the rights to the Legend of Zelda series.**_

_**Please review. Thank you.**_

* * *

"Can't believe we're stuck out here," said the guard, "watching the Gerudo freaking Desert."

"Stop complaining," said the second guard, "this job's bad enough without having to listen to you whine."

"Oh, sorry," the first complained, "I'm not getting paid to make this enjoyable for you."

The second remained silent.

The first continued, "I mean… what's the point? We don't have any authority. We can only stop people if they're suspected of being on the run. And nobody's dumb enough to try and hide out there."

The second remained silent.

"Ugh, fine," the first complained. He turned to another guard, watching from the camp's tower, "Hey! You see anything out there?"

"No," he responded.

"Really? Nothing? No bandits? No traders?"

"Nothing."

"Nothing at all?"

"No. Nothing."

The first guard went quiet. After about a minute, he spoke back up. "How about now?"

"No!"

"You sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure!"

"Okay, okay, sheesh."

The first guard lowered his head.

"Now keep it down," said the third, "I need to stay alert."

He looked back throw his spyglass, for any sign of life. They were to expect Link back soon. He lowered the scope, and rubbed his eye.

"How about now?"

"Nayru damn it, NO!" He raised the spyglass back to his eye and saw something. "Wait!" he shouted, "I see something!"

"What is it?"

The object came closer into view. A red horse with a white mane. Hylian crest on the packs it was carrying. That was Sir Link's horse, all right.

"It's Sir Link's horse!"

The horse came closer.

"…It's _just_ his horse."

"What?"

"He's not on it!"

"What do we do?"

"I… I don't know!"

The horse rode closer and closer to camp. The second guard went to the commander's tent. "Commander Rondel! Commander!" he called, "Sir Link's horse is on its way here! But he, he, he's not on it!"

"What?" Rondel stood up. He went outside to see what was going on.

"None of us have any experience in this kind of situation, sir," said the guard, "Do you know what we should do?"

"Let me see that spyglass!" the commander ordered, climbing the guard tower. He took it from the third, and looked through it. There was something off about the way the horse was moving. The way her legs were moving weren't normal. "She's hurt," Rondel told his men, "Get ready to stop her. Calm her down and treat her wounds. We'll figure out what to do from there."

The men nodded, and gathered round the gate. Rondel stopped the tower guard from going down. "Not you," he held him back, "Stay up here. Keep watch for Sir Link. Or anyone else."

"Yes, sir."

The commander hopped down to help the rest of his men.

Epona galloped towards the encampment. Before long, she was at the gate. The men tried cutting off her path, doing what they could to calm her. One of them made a dash for her reigns, and caught hold of them. Soon, others began to help. They managed to secure her, and settle her down. Rondel approached her, and saw what was hurting her.

"She was attacked," he said, "Come look at this, boys." He directed them to her front, right leg. There were several throwing needles piercing it. "Patch her up as best you can, men. There're supplies in the tents."

"Commander," one of the men approached him, "What do we do?"

"As soon as we've got her patched up enough to where she can walk, I'm talking her back into Castle Town. Queen Zelda's going to want to hear about this."

"And his family?"

"She'll know what to do."

* * *

He had walked all night, and all morning. All the while, he had continued humming the song; the song that would show him the way. The heat of the sun was beating down on him. The blistering winds were taking their toll. His face was covered in dust. His lips were dry and cracked. He hadn't had any water since Epona took off. He was running out of time.

But he refused to let himself die. Not while Malon and Carthas still needed him.

"I'll be home soon…" he whispered to himself.

He continued to walk across the desert, minute after minute, hour after hour. The dunes seemed endless. He kept his eyes on the horizon, hoping to soon catch sight of someone, _anyone_, who could help him; he didn't care who.

He had to keep fighting. He had to keep renewing his will to move on. He was getting too weak to constantly pull out the locket. He ran memories of his family through his head.

* * *

_Ganondorf's tyranny was over. Hyrule was free. The people rejoiced. All of Kakariko, all of the Zora, all of the Gorons, and even all of the Kokiri came out to celebrate. The people danced. The music played. Everyone was happy. And they had good reason to be._

"_Hey!" Talon called out, "Malon, whaddya doin' over here?"_

_Malon turned to her father. She had gone and sat on the stone wall in the field, away from the celebration._

"_Come on!" he beckoned, "You're missing out."_

"_I'll be there soon, Dad," she told him, "Don't let me distract you."_

_Talon could see right through her fake smile. "Sweetheart, don't you worry about him. That boy's got the devil's luck. I'd bet doesn't have a scratch on him!"_

_He could see his words weren't doing much for his daughter. He was about to approach her, but smiled and turned away instead. As he left, Malon turned her gaze towards the floor. She was worried. The fairy boy who she had come to love was nowhere to be found. He had gone off to fight Ganondorf, but now, he had disappeared. She wanted him to be safe._

_A hand touched her shoulder._

"_I think your dad might've lost his bet," came a familiar voice._

"_Link?" Malon stood up and turned to the man. Sure enough, there he was. She threw her arms around him, not wanting to ever let him go. And he happily returned the embrace._

* * *

In the hours that had passed while Link roamed, the men at the camp had managed to patch Epona up to where she could move around without much danger of harming herself further. Rondel and two other men had taken her and headed towards Castle Town.

Epona was wounded, so they'd have to move at a slow pace. Rondel calculated that it'd probably take them near two days to get to Castle Town at that pace.

"Commander," one of the men called.

"Yes?"

"If he is… gone, how-"

"I already told you," Rondel cut him off, "Queen Zelda will know what to do. No point in fretting about it right now."

"Yes, sir. Sorry, sir."

* * *

Link had been roaming through the desert for an eternity. In the distance, he thought he saw something. He tried focusing, and saw a tower.

"_The encampment!_" he thought to himself. His dry lips cracked a weak smile. He was almost home free.

It was still a lot of ground to cover, but he wasn't going to leave Malon and Carthas alone.

* * *

_Link and Ingo were out in the barn, filling the troughs with cow feed. It had been a hell of a workday, and Link was more than ready to get this done. _

"_LINK!" came Talon's booming voice from outside the house, "LINK!"_

_He looked up as Talon burst into the barn. "Talon, what's going on?" he asked._

"_It's Malon! The baby! It, it's-"_

_Link dropped what he was doing and ran inside, Talon and Ingo running in after him. He dashed up the stairs and into the bedroom, where Malon was on the bed. She was groaning in pain. Link ran to her side and grabbed her hand._

"_Link!" she cried out in pain._

"_It's all right, Malon! I'm right here!" he tried comforting her. He turned to her father, "Talon, I… what… what do I do?"_

"_Ingo, go get some rags and a knife! Link, you get over here," he instructed, "You're gonna need to deliver the baby."_

"_I… WHAT?"_

"_You heard me, get over here!"_

"_You want ME to-"_

_Malon screamed in pain._

"_I've done this before, son," Talon told him, "I know exactly how to help her through this. You don't."_

_Link sighed and ran over to where Talon knelt. Talon went over and grabbed Malon's hand._

"_All right, sweetheart," Talon told her, "Just breathe, okay. Breathe real deep."_

_Malon screamed as she went through another contraction._

"_Malon," Talon told her, "you're gonna need to push, darlin'! All right? Push! Push!"_

_Malon pushed, still shouting in pain._

"_You're doing great, Malon," Link tried reassuring her, "You're doing great. Right? She is doing great, right, Talon?"_

"_She's doing great, Link, focus on your end. You're doing just fine, Malon. Just keep pushing," Talon turned back to Link, "Let me know when you see the head start coming out!"_

_Malon screamed again._

"_I see it!" Link said, "I can see it!"_

"_You hear that, Malon?" Talon asked, "It's almost over. You're almost done. Just give it another push! One more big push, come on!"_

_Malon pushed once more, screaming in pain. Then, it was over. _

"_I… I've got it!" Link declared._

"_INGO!" Talon yelled, "WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU?"_

"_I'm comin', I'm comin'!" Ingo shouted, walking in with the rags and knife._

_He handed them to Link who proceeded to cut the cord and clean the baby off. He couldn't believe it. He was a father._

"_It's a boy," he said, happily. He brought the child over to Malon, and placed it in her arms._

"_A boy…" she said, blissfully, "a beautiful boy…"_

_Link looked at his wife. She looked so beautiful, lovingly holding their son._

* * *

Link was near. The guards had noticed him approaching.

"Halt!" called one of them, "Identify yourself!"

He continued to move closer. They wouldn't harm him. He wouldn't let them.

* * *

"_Can you believe it, Link?" Malon asked, smiling, "A son… Our son…"_

_Link knelt down, and put his arm around his wife. He was so happy._

* * *

The guard in the tower turned towards those on the ground. "I think it's Sir Link!" He turned back towards Link, "Sir Link, is that you?"

Link felt his legs weakening. He had to hold out just a bit longer.

* * *

"_What should we name him?" Malon asked._

"_I like the name… Carthas," Link smiled._

* * *

"Carthas…," Link said weakly, his voice barely more than a raspy whisper, "Malon…"

He made it a few feet from the gate, and fell to his knees. The guards rushed out to help him inside.

"It IS Sir Link!" said the first.

"Aw, man, we gotta get him inside! We gotta get him some water! We gotta get him some help!" said the second.

"Carthas… Malon…"

* * *

_**This chapter made me FEEEEEEL.**_

_**I actually really like this one towards the end. It started off kind meh, but I like how it turned out.**_

_**Let me know what you think, please. I'm interested in what you have to say. Was it good? Was it bad? How can I make it better? Thanks.**_

_**One last note: Updates may become slower from this point on, my schoolwork's picking up again, but I'll try to work on it as much as I can.**_


	4. Council

**I do not own the rights to any part of the Legend of Zelda series.**

**Enjoy. Please review.**

* * *

The Hyrule Castle's council chamber. Here, past rulers and key figures in the kingdom had discussed issues affecting the different peoples of Hyrule. Even Ganondorf, thethe Gerudo King of Thieves, had sat in this room, furthering his own agenda. Today, the chamber housed those in charge of the land today.  
Queen Zelda.  
Darunia, Patriarch of the Gorons.  
Morota, the Zora representative chosen by Queen Ruto.  
And General Telak.

There were meals set out for them, to eat and then discuss. In front of Zelda and Telak were quenelles made from the finest beef, cooked to perfection. Morota had a plate full of small fish, known only to exist in the ruins of a land called Termina. And Darunia… Darunia had assorted rocks. All the dishes were untouched, save for Telak's half-eaten food.

"So…," Telak broke the silence, "are we just gonna sit here, waiting for the slimy bastard to show up-"

"General Telak," Zelda cut him off, "You will be respectful in here. We will give Hanim a while longer."

"And what of Sir Link?" Morota asked.

"He may not arrive until tomorrow," Zelda informed him, "If he does not appear today, we will continue our session tomorrow."

Morota was a short, scrawny figure. He sat exactly with a posture that one would expect an aristocrat to have. And like a typical councilman, he had rolls of parchment with him, no doubt filled with things he wished to discuss. He'd occasionally open up one of the rolls and scan over it before closing it, waiting a few moments, and repeating the process with another roll.

Darunia would fidget around in his chair, obviously uncomfortable sitting in silence, doing nothing. He'd clear his throat every now and then. The years had been rather kind to him. He was as strong as ever, and the only visible effects of aging were a few wrinkles and some white streaks in his sandy-colored hair.

The queen's circlet glimmered, resting above her eyes. Her long, silver dress stopped at her feet. She was the very image of royalty. All that was missing was a giant crown and cape. She sat still, except for her eyes. Zelda's eyes slowly moved around the room, surveying everyone and everything in front of her. As if she was expecting something to happen. Which was natural. After being on the run for seven years, and having people trying to usurp the throne, it was okay to be a little paranoid.

All the while, Telak sat slouched in his chair, impatiently drumming his fingers on the table, resting his temple on his fist. He made it much more obvious that he was looking at everyone; judging them. He'd mumble things under his breath that no one could make out, nor where they sure they wanted to hear any of it.

The uncomfortable silence lingered a while longer. Darunia was about to speak when the door opened. A tall, Sheikah man walked in. His brown hair was tied back into a tail. His long brown robe extended to his ankles, and had a white cloth draped over the center of it, his tribe's symbol adorning it.

"It's about damned time, Hanim!" Telak grumbled.

"Apologies, everyone," the Sheikah man answered, "My daughter just didn't want me to leave her today. But now that I'm here, we can begin." He noticed the dishes laid out, **mostly** untouched. "You didn't have to wait for me. Now I just feel guilty," he let out a small chuckle as he sat down.

"Are we starting now? Very well," Morota said, after swallowing one of the fish on his plate, "I have a list of things I would like to bring before the council." He unrolled one of his scrolls, and said, "The first issue I'd like to bring up is the algae dying off in the Domain. Your villagers have been using the lake and river water to wash their clothing, instead of the well. It's been killing off the algae-"

"Whatever you've got can wait, Morota," Telak cut the Zora off, "Our business come first."

"General Telak, please," Zelda silenced him, "I'm sorry Mister Morota, but there is a far more pressing issue I'd like to discuss first. We'll address your issues afterwards."

Morota closed his scroll and nodded, "Very well, Queen Zelda."

"The problem is the Gerudo," Zelda began, "They've been raiding supply caravans, both for the people and for the military."

"So, I say," Telak interrupted, "we cut them down to size!" He slammed his fist on the table.

"General, calm down," Zelda commanded.

"We're trying to find alternative means of dealing with them," Hanim continued in Zelda's place, "But they aren't very receptive. Half the time, we aren't even sure our messages get through."

"That's 'cause you're trying to negotiate with Gerudo whores…," Terlak mumbled.

"General Terlak!"

"I can't really understand why you're so shocked," Darunia stated, "They're the Gerudo. It's what they do."

"See? The Goron agrees!" Telak stood up, "The only way to stop them is to fight them back!"

"I never said that!" Darunia objected, standing up.

"Then you're saying we just let them raid our caravans, is that it?"

"I-"

"Need I remind you that those caravans are **your** people's lifeline as well?"

"General Telak!" Zelda tried silencing him, "Calm-"

"You get your goods and money from us, which we get through those caravans!" Telak continued, "You think real hard about what happens to your people if we can't help you! Be a real shame if we can't give you anything because you let our caravans be raided!"

"It _would_ be a real shame _if_ we actually needed your trade!" Darunia shouted back, his thunderous voice echoing through the hall, "We can maintain an economy on our own! We only make dealings with you out of past friendships and debts of gratitude! It's _you_ who need _us_!"

"Why don't I take you out in back of this palace, and I'll show you how much we don't need you? Show you how expendable you are?" Telak snarled.

"GENERAL TELAK!" Zelda shouted.

"YOU!" he turned to Zelda, "Why the hell are you so damned protective of these… 'people'? And the Gerudo! You remember the last time we tried making peace with them! That bastard Ganondorf took over this country! Are you really gonna let that happen again? ARE YOU?"

He marched over to her, shouting every word. Suddenly, he felt a familiar dagger against his throat.

"Oh, you _bitch__**."**_

"That's quite enough," Impa commanded. She grabbed Telak's arm, and threw him to the ground.

"Remove him, Impa," Zelda commanded.

"Yes, your highness," Impa obeyed, she lifted up Telak by the same arm she used to bring him down, "Get up! Out the door with you."

Telak growled as he was escorted out.

"I apologise for that," Zelda told the others, "Perhaps we should resume that at another time. We can adjourn or discuss other business."

"Well, perhaps we can get back to some of my points, Queen Zelda," Morota grabbed another one of his scrolls.

After Impa let him go, Telak wandered through the halls, heading towards the palace exit. As soon as he was sure Impa wasn't watching him anymore, he turned around, let out a roaring shout, and slammed his fist into the wall.

One of the nearby maids jumped, and dropped the vase she was setting in place. It fell to the floor and shattered. Telak turned to her.

"What are you doing?" he growled, "Clean that up!"

"Y-yes, sir…" the maid whimpered. She began picking up the pieces. She was about to reach for one when Telak stepped on it, breaking it into smaller shards. He continued on his way out of the palace, scowling at all the incompetence he saw around him.

"I have no idea why they decided to go ahead with the coronation…," Telak whispered to himself, "She hasn't done a damned thing for this kingdom."

He arrived at the Palace Entrance, and paced around outside, grumbling to himself all the while. He could solve all of Hyrule's problems if he could take full control of the military. All he needed was Queen Zelda's approval. _"But she's too damned peaceful,"_ he thought, _"she's gonna want to negotiate and negotiate until we're giving away the castle walls to 'protect the peace'. If I had my way, I'd make sure nobody'd ever be able to threaten Hyrule again."_

He continued to pace around. In time, he noticed a group of horses approaching. Among them was that unmistakable red steed. But it had no rider. Telak approached the group. "You! Name?"

"Commander Rondel, sir," said the group's leader, "I'm in charge of the checkpoint out by the desert."

"That horse…"

"Yes, sir, General Telak. That is Sir Link's horse," Rondel told him.

"I know that, but where is Sir Link?"

"He never reported to camp, sir," Rondel sighed, "His horse ran in a few days ago, injured. That's all we've got."

Telak grabbed hold of Epona's reigns roughly. She stood up on her back legs, startled. Terlak pulled her down forcefully, harming her wounded leg. He turned to Rondel, "Thank you, commander! I'll inform the Queen. Head back to your station."

"But, sir-"

"Head back to your station! That's an order!"

"Yes, sir," Rondel complied, though obviously distrustful of Telak. He turned to his men, and ordered them out with him. He pulled Epona along, marching back towards the palace.

"G-General Telak," a palace guard stepped out, "you… you can't-"

"Out of my way, soldier!" Telak shoved the guard to the floor, "I've got a message to deliver."

Telak continued into the palace, ignoring and forcing his way through any and all attempts to stop him. He hauled Epona through the palace corridors, and came upon the servant girl putting another vase in place. She turned and saw him, and dropped the vase she was carrying.

Telak glared at her as he passed by, scaring her into getting down and picking up the pieces. He headed towards the council chamber.

"Sorry, sir," a guard stood in front of him, "you're not allowed back in here."

"Out of my way!" Telak kicked the man to the floor and kept walking. The guard scooted out of the way to avoid being trampled by the general and Epona. Telak marched towards the door and kicked it open.

Zelda stood up and faced him. "General Telak, what are you doing? Is… Is that a horse?"

"Not _just_ a horse, your highness!" Telak stated.

"Epona…," Zelda said, quietly.

"Yeah," Telak stated gruffly, "Epona. Sir Link's horse.

"Where is Link?" Darunia stood up and asked.

"That is a good question, Goron," Telak answered, "One that I can't answer. You see, I don't know. The horse was brought in from our encampment out in the desert. It arrived there **without** Sir Link."

"What?" Hanim stood from his chair.

"She was injured, too!" Telak said, pointing to bandages on Epona's front, right leg. "Sir Link was attacked out there. By the Gerudo."

"WHAT?" Darunia shouted, "They attacked him?"

"Probably killed him!" Telak barked back.

Zelda's gloved hand shot up to her mouth as she let out a small gasp. Her face went pale.

"A message," Telak continued, "We need to go to war."

"We have no evidence that it-," Hanim began, but Telak cut him off.

"He was attacked out in the desert while visiting the Gerudo! He didn't make it back! How much more proof do you need?"

"No… Is there anything at all that points specifically to the Gerudo?" Darunia questioned.

"I don't know how to make this any clearer for you, Goron!" Telak snapped, "Who else is in that desert?"

"Is there any proof that he's dead?" Hanim asked.

"Yeah!" Darunia agreed, "I know Link better than any of you except Queen Zelda, he wouldn't go down easily!"

"We're wasting time!" Telak shouted, "We need to decide right now! Do we go to war with them or not?"

Morota turned to Zelda. "Well, Queen Zelda," Morota asked, "What do you say? The Zora people will be behind you, whatever you say."

"The Sheikah as well," Hanim added.

Zelda slowly stepped backwards, almost tripping on her own dress.

"We…," she began, "we have… no proof that Link is dead."

Telak groaned, as he dragged his hand down his face disgustedly, "Okay, even if he _is_ alive, he's not going anywhere until we go and get him! And while we're there, we should teach the Gerudo a lesson! I just need your order!"

"I… I…," Zelda stammered.

Impa stepped forth from the shadows behind Zelda's chair. "That's enough for now. The council will reconvene tomorrow."

"WHAT?" Telak shouted, "TOMORROW? I need an answer today, dammit!"

"I said the council will reconvene tomorrow!"

Telak stepped forward, "I don't think you understand me, Sheikah," he snarled.

Impa grabbed a Deku Nut from a small pouch on her waist and threw it to the floor. The next thing Telak knew, she was, once again, behind him with her dagger to his neck.

"I said 'tomorrow,'" she growled in his ear.

"Right," he said, angrily, "'tomorrow.'"

Impa released Telak, and watched him leave, rubbing his throat. Darunia and Morota followed suit. As soon as they were gone, Hanim walked over to her.

"I like the way you handle yourself around Telak, Impa."

"The man's a swine," she responded.

"Oh yes," Hanim nodded, "Couldn't agree more. But he's an intimidating swine."

"Is there something you want, Hanim?"

"Well, yes. I haven't seen you or Sheik around the village at all lately. Not seeing you is understandable, but Sheik isn't the Queen's bodyguard. What's keeping him?"

"He's away on duty."

"Duty? Am I allowed to know of this duty?"

"No."

"Well," Hanim said, annoyed at Impa's minimalist answers, "You be sure to send him my regards when you see him."

He turned to leave.

"Oh, one more thing," he said, as walked out the door, "You must really join me and my daughter for dinner sometime. She misses seeing you."

With that, Hanim left. As soon as the door closed, Zelda collapsed, and fell back into her seat. Impa sped to her side.

"Are you all right, my Queen?"

"Link… he's… he can't be…"

"There's no proof of that, my Queen. Telak's trying to egg you on; get you to declare war on the Gerudo."

"I… I need rest…"

"Of course, Queen Zelda," Impa stated, helping Zelda up, "Come. I'll escort you to your chambers."

* * *

_**Well. This was significantly longer than I intended. But that's good! Right? RIGHT?**_

_**Please, let me know what you think. Please. None of you have reviewed yet. Stop that. Stop not reviewing. You can leave anonymous reviews, you know.**_

_**Also, starting next week, my workload is supposed to pick up. I'm not sure how much I'll be able to get done. Sorry. ^_^'**_


	5. Reflections

_**I do not own the rights to the Legend of Zelda series.**_

_**Please review. Thank you.**_

* * *

_The Sacred Realm surrounded them. It was as though they were walking on air; standing in the sky. Seven years. Seven long years, she had hidden, waiting. Seven long years, he had slumbered, unable to awaken._

"_Thank you, Link…," Zelda said, "Thanks to you, Ganondorf has been sealed inside the Evil Realm. Thus, peace will once again reign in this world… for a time."_

_Link said nothing. He only smiled, happy he did his duty._

_Tears began to form in Zelda's eyes. She turned her face away from Link, and looked down in shame. "All the tragedy that has befallen Hyrule… was __**my**__ doing…," she began, "I was so young… I couldn't comprehend the consequences of trying to control the Sacred Realm…" She let out a small sob. She tried to contain her emotions, but she couldn't._

_Link's hand touched her shoulder. She looked up at him. He smiled a comforting smile, and pulled her into a hug. "Don't you __**ever**__ say that, Princess," Link told her, "Ever. You were only doing what you thought was right. You were doing what you did to protect this land and its people. Your people. __**That**__ is what a princess would do. __**That**__ is what a great ruler would do."_

_He let her out of the hug, but still left both his hands on her shoulders. He moved his hands and wiped the tears from her eyes, still smiling. He truly believed she had done the right thing._

_Zelda couldn't help but smile back. But she looked down again. "I… I dragged you into it, too," she told him, "Now… now it's time for me to make up for my mistakes… You must lay the Master Sword to rest… and close the Door of Time." She looked back at him, successfully managing to hold back her tears this time. She continued, "By doing this, the road between times will be closed."_

_She extended her hand. "Link, give me the Ocarina. As a Sage, I can return you to your original time with it."_

_Link looked down at the Ocarina of Time in his hand. "Return me to my own time?" he asked himself out loud. He held out the Ocarina, and placed it in Zelda's hand, but he did not let go. She rested her other hand on top of his. _

"_When peace once again returns to Hyrule, it will be time for us to say good-bye…"_

_As soon as she said that, Link's grip tightened on the Ocarina. "No," he told her._

"_Link, please… Don't make this harder than it already is…"_

"_No," he repeated sternly, "I won't let you."_

"_Link…"_

"_Why? Why do I need to go back?"_

"_You need to go and regain your lost years. Live your life! Go home! Where… where you're supposed to be… Please, Link…"_

"_No," his grip remained ever firm. He continued, "Zelda, I would love to be able to live those seven years, I would. But the time I've spent with everyone… The friends I've made… The bonds I've formed… I wouldn't trade them. Not for anything."_

"_Link…," Zelda tried to speak, but felt herself about to cry again._

"_Don't send me back," he told her, "Let me stay here. Let's rebuild the kingdom. Together."_

_Zelda was stunned. She looked into his eyes. Was he… really doing this? Did he really want to stay? With her? Tears began to form again, but this time, they were of joy. She let go of Link's arm. He pulled the Ocarina away._

"_Thank you… Link…" she said, softly._

_She hugged him, tears running down her cheeks. She was so happy. Link was going to stay with her._

* * *

She turned away from her mirror, tears rolling down from her eyes. She was so stupid then. She thought Link loved her. Like she loved him. All that time she spent with him, and worrying about him when she couldn't be there to help him; it hurt her. It hurt her so much.

"Why…?" she turned her head towards the heavens, "Why? WHY? She buried her face in her hands. "Why do I have to love him? Why…. why doesn't he love me…?"

She cried and cried. The worst part was, even if he did love her, she knew it wouldn't work between them. She was a monarch. They didn't marry for love. They married for power; for prestige. And even so, Link would not be able to handle life as a royal. He was a man of the people, a man of action. He couldn't just sit back in a council room as people needed help. That wasn't the kind of man he was. The life of a royal would make him restless and unhappy. The union would, in the end, be loveless.

Even with all the obstacles between them, she had still hoped that Link would love her. She just could never let go of that hope. And it was killing her inside. She wanted to. She wanted to so badly. But she couldn't bring herself too.

And now, he had gone missing in the desert. In all of Hyrule's recorded history, there were only very few people to ever survive there once lost. There was no guarantee that Link was alive. And it was driving her insane. She had to know. Was he still alive?

She was conflicted. She loved him, she did. But every day she spent with him; every day they were together, and yet still separate, it tore her apart. She loved having him around, and yet, it made her miserable at the same time.

And perhaps his death would allow her to finally let go. But she didn't want him to be dead. He was the Hero of Hyrule. He was the land's savior. He was the only man she had ever loved. And the thought of something happening to him; it made her sick to think about.

She looked back at her mirror. She didn't see a queen. She saw a princess. A young girl, clinging to foolish dreams that could never be a reality. A young girl too headstrong to let go of false hope. She the nearest object she could find, and threw it at the mirror. It shattered, and the fragments scattered across the floor. She fell to her knees, sobbing. She looked up for a moment, and grabbed what she had thrown. It was a pictogram, in an iron frame. The glass in front of the pictogram had shattered as well, but she could still see what it was. Her and Link, in front of the newly reconstructed palace. What she had always wanted. And yet, it was not. She held the picture to her heart, bowed her head and cried. She cried all night.

* * *

_**DAMN IT! DAMN IT ALL!  
This made me sad. I had to get in touch with my Zelink side to write this, and DAMMIT! I MAY CRY NOW. YOU SEE WHAT I DO FOR YOU PEOPLE?**_

_**I'm glad I was able to get this one done. I don't think I've given a lot of characters enough focus, Zelda especially.**_

_**So, tell me. What do you think? You like it? Why? You hate it? Jerk. Just kidding! But why?**_

_**Please review. Thank you.**_


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